Friday, May 04, 2012

Xenophony gets an apology

Lessons from NST's Correction, Clarfication and Apology to Nick Xenophon. Remember The West Australian's reckless report about our PM last November? The above was howThe West Australian admits it erred. Short, impersonal and not even an apology (and, yet, apology accepted).

Early this week, the New Straits Times published a report quoting an MP, which contained a piece of information about Nick Xenophon that turned out to be wrong. So NST did the needful: it quickly published a correction. Plus a retraction. And an apology! It even deleted the said article from its online site. In short, the whole works!

The NST's correction, retraction, and apology:

And who the hell is this Nick Xenophon, again? He isn't even a Minister, just a Member of Parliament of Australia. The reason he was in the news was because he was made the leader of this group of international election inspectors invited to Malaysia by Anwar Ibrahim. Despite being what The Malaysian Insider described as "a known close associate of Anwar Ibrahim", Xenophon insisted we Malaysians believe in his independence!

How did the "mistake" come about?

One detects no malice in the NST report: A Malaysian MP cited Xenophon's speech that appeared anti-Islam. It turned out that some Internet rascal had doctored that speech and distributed it. The NST reported what the MP said. It may have checked and double-checked but obviously it did not triple-check the authenticity of the statement purportedly made by Xenophon.

The point is, the NST DID NOT replace the word "scientology" with "Islam", it was merely quoting a statement made by a lawmaker. The Malaysian Insider's report (below) is, therefore, both erroneous and, perhaps, even malicious.

A mistake the NST made is easy to commit these days. The admission that one has made a mistake, like the one the NST made - overboard and grovelling at times - takes sincerity and guts.

I almost fell for it (the doctored Xenophon speech). See the comments section of my 26 April posting on Nick Xenophon H E R E.

This particular comment came in from an Anonymous at 11.25pm that day:

Anonymous said...Bro Rocky,More about Mr Nicholas Xenophon and his previous remark on Islam. Hope that you can publish it.Yang ikhlas,Concerned Ummah

Excerpt from Andrew Bolt's column Herald Sun Australia (22/2/2011)...

There is a baying for the blood of Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi for saying this:“Islam itself is the problem - it’s not Muslims,” he told radio station MTR.“Muslims are individuals that practise their faith in their own way, but Islam is a totalitarian, political and religious ideology.“It tells people everything about how they need to conduct themselves, who they’re allowed to marry and how they’re allowed to treat other people.”

Julia Gillad demands the resignation of Bernardi:Ms Gillard used Question Time on Monday to call for the heads of Coalition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison and outspoken South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi....Ms Gillard says the politics of the past week have raised the “spectre of One Nation”.“It is the job of national leadership… to explain to people there is ultimately nothing to be afraid of,...There is another path, and that is seeking to channel that fear and that resentment into political gain… that spectre of that ugly politics. That grubby path is before us again and the principal task of this Parliament this week is to banish that spectre again.”But here’s the odd thing. I have not seen a single word of criticism from Gillard, Labor, the Greens, the ABC or the Fairfax media for this even nastier attacks from Independent MP Nick Xenephon - attacks in which just one detail has been altered:

Xenophon adjournment speech, 17 Nov 2009What we are seeing is a worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality. On the body of evidence this is not happening by accident; it is happening by design. Islam is not a religious organisation. It is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs. What you believe does not mean you are not accountable for how you behave.

Xenophon questions whether Islam deserves support:I ask my fellow senators: do these things sound like religious activities to you? Does this sound like an organisation that should be receiving support from the Australian taxpayer in the form of tax exemptions because they claim to be a religion? In the past Islam has claimed that those who question their organisation are attacking the group’s religious freedom. It is twisted logic, to say the least. Religious freedom did not mean the Catholic or Anglican Churches were not held accountable for crimes and abuses committed by their priests, nuns and officials—albeit belatedly. Ultimately, this is not about religious freedom. In Australia there are no limits on what you can believe. But there are limits on how you can behave. It is called the law, and no-one is above it.So the difference is...?

11:25 PM

About eight hours 20 hours later, however, another Anonymous left this comment under the same posting to warn others that .. :

Anonymous said...Nick Xenophon isn't "anti-islam", he is "anti-scientology". Would somebody go back and read the actual speeches?8:28 PM

36 comments:

weirdly, although we have achieved independence, we still abide by the rule of 'mat salleh'.Thanks anuwar. for 'occupying' malaysia again.sure hell not gonna vote for this asshole. takes us back 55 years back.anuwar si kitol

so what dose this teach us? Local newspapers are quick to retract and apologize when they slander people from thousand miles away but choose to ignore the same principle when the victim is from somewhere near.

"And who the hell is this Nick Xenophon, again? He isn't even a Minister, just a Member of Parliament of Australia. The reason he was in the news was because he was made the leader of this group of international election inspectors invited to Malaysia by Anwar Ibrahim."

I'm afraid to expect the government to invite independent observers for Bersih is unrealistic. Judging the panel based on who invited them and not on their observation alone is clearly unfair.

And for nick to be a member of parliament and not a minister does not mean that he is less credible (or deserving of anything less than a sincere apology) . With that same mindset, guess we could say the same about the credibility of the French court and their findings, but should we?

You said - who the hell is this Nick Xenophon, again? He isn't even a Minister, just a Member of Parliament of Australia. The reason he was in the news was because he was made the leader of this group of international election inspectors invited to Malaysia by Anwar Ibrahim.

Likewise - who the hell are you to just condemn BERSIH? You dont have the guts to talk about BERSIH events that occured peacefully in other parts of Malaysia, with help from police?

Why only in KL it was different? Don't you see that its because of anti BERSIH instigators?

Have police issued photos who participated in BERSIH event at other Malaysian locations?

Giving credit when due is no more in your blogging actions!

Ambiga stopped at the forbidden point and declared the event a success, and then she requested all to disperse.

You should by now know that the ruckus started after that.

Someone had a game plan how to make the event ugly, in case it happened smoothly without any problem.

But you wont dwell into that.

Instead, after having failed in the plot, the bloggers were activated to switch their lights on Azmin and yes of course, sex...again! (BUT you were not involved in instigating them!)

And mainstream media (including Mediaprima group that owns NST) are once again educating our kids on sex. Yet Education Ministry is still not decided how to introduce the subject in schools.

The NST carried someone's comment (an anonymous rascal) and tried to paint him as anti-Islam ? How about your friend Hasan Ali approving a fatwa on Xenophone on the basis of the NST report ?

Bro, stop this immature spinning lah. Nobody's gonna put out a contract on Rosmah for shopping in Australia, but some crazy nut somewhere might just take matters into his own hands on account of his Islamic beliefs in the case of Xenophone.

I for one believe that the NST was malicious, and that someone in NST changed the word "scientology" to "Islam" to deliberately whip up religious fervour against the Australian.

The NST is run by people with "niat jahat". That's why they must be sued for RM 100 million. Don't worry, bro, they can afford it. Najib asked for US$1 billion just for a meeting, and Shahreezat still has some funds not drawn from the NFCorp.

Why can't you make your point without making trivial fun of others, e.g mispelling their name.

Once again you spin...The NST article was written badly and not even newsworthy...

The first seven para was written in an editorial rather than newsreporting manner...going against the basics of newsreporting not to editorialise the news. Bayan Baru MP's statement only came at the end to support the NST's assertions in the first 7 paragraph. Had NST made the Bayan Baru's MP the core of the article and attributed their views to him then perhaps you could have a point...

My god, you seem more apolegetic than even the NST when from your personal experience you know how vindictively they pursue their vendettas.

Did they front-page their apology or busy it somewhere in the 'classified' section. I don't know because I don't buy these MSM toilet papers anymore.

Frankly, I don't buy their belated mea culpa. It's the fear of being sued for $100 million that's got them burning their tails and rushing to apologise. Mistook or misinterpreted 'scientology' for 'Islam.'? Stands right up there with Mahathir's 'no, I meant, shoo away, not shoot' (re Vietnamese boat people refugees) way back then.

Everyone involved should be sacked and put behind bars for promoting international religious bigotry - the MD, Board of Directors, ditor and the scurrilous hack(s) responsible for it!

"And who the hell is this Nick Xenophon, again? He isn't even a Minister, just a Member of Parliament of Australia."

Who then hell are most MP's in M'sian Parliament - Ministers? What a silly remark!

And the way the NST and Utusan has been lambasting the opposition leaders yet they get no apology. Where in the world do we get a link from MSM to watch alleged pictures of an opposition leader in sexual acts except in Malaysia. More like saucy scandal sheets then MSM. And this is suppose to be fair press for all. I guess fair press means just start banging the opposition and keep all dirty stories of the ruling elites wrapped up nice and tidy.

I should be the first one to celebrate this exposure of the Catholic church and the strident anti-church stance as the writer of the article is clearly implying

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=12619&page=0

But then again, I am also a secular democrat who,besides constantly calling for the proscribing of political parties using religion as their platform in Malaysia is well aware of the ' innocent till proven guilty' maxim.

And unlike hypocrites like Anwar,Ambiga et al, I know the stature and public worth of populist demagogues like Nick Xenophon. Simply put as phony and as cacophonous as they come.

The media world of UMNO / BN is doomed and destroyed because of some idiot Journalist like you Rocky and the stupid cyber troopers. You are responsible of the self-destruction of the UMNO/BN Media. its the best time that you should call your day from UMNO/BN media.

Rocky, you are no different from Rais Yatim. Same book different cover. my two cent.

By Malcolm King - posted Friday, 16 September 2011 Sign Up for free e-mail updates!

This is the link given by Warrior:-

Title: No man is an island: Except Senator Nick Xenaphon

How long must we tolerate Senator Xenophon, the renegade Senator from South Australia? He has no decency, no respect, and no sense of proportion or moderation. By using parliamentary privilege and accusing a former Catholic chaplain of the navy, Ian Dempsey, of the rape of another man 50 years ago, he forfeits his right to be taken seriously in public affairs.

Senator Xenophon was warned against it. Archbishop John Hepworth, the alleged victim and sole source of Senator Xenophon’s allegation, said he did not want the matter raised. Senator Xenophon over-ruled Archbishop Hepworth's plea, saying, ''If this priest is named tonight in the Senate, the Catholic Church will only have itself to blame. We have to act in the interests of parents and children in the parish first and foremost.''

The Catholic Church implored the Senator from South Australia not to besmirch Dempsey’s name, as there was an ongoing investigation in to Hepworth’s allegations. Even the Liberal Party warned the Senator from using parliamentary privilege to embark on a hate campaign against a man who today stands innocent. The archdiocese in Adelaide said it was ''shocked and dismayed that Senator Xenophon had ignored our pleadings'' not to reveal the priest's identity. Dempsey has denied the accusation.

The question now turns not on whether Senator Xenophon is a fit and proper person to hold the title ‘Senator’.

I have not been a supporter of Senator Xenophon’s. I have been a critic of his media stunts and policies. His attacks on the Church of Scientology were ridiculous. His hatred of churches, no matter what form, knows no bounds. He has no policy, no interest in notions of church versus state. He was, like a gunslinger, simply out to bring down a good man and get a headline.

I had until recently, underestimated the Senator from South Australia’s craft and zeal. The man he accused from ‘Coward’s Castle’ has served the Church and this nation for 40 years. That’s 40 years of honest servitude, which Senator Xenophon, in one small late night speech, took away from him.

How do you heal a wound to one’s reputation? I do not know Hepworth. I have never met and did not know of him until Senator Xenophon named him. Surely this priest has a family and friends. What do they think of him now? The taint of accusation without reply sits like a stone he cannot remove from his shoe.

Xenophon rode in to Canberra on an anti-gambling crusade. He pities the poor gambler. He is the scourge of those who profit from there loses. He hates pokie machines in hotels and amateur football clubs and those who bet on the AFL. These are where the TV cameras and light are. This is where Xenophon shines. He is no friend of working people, nor now is he a friend of the Catholic Church.

Forget the shocking number of Aboriginal suicides, the parlous state of outback healthcare, pay equality for women, juvenile crime rates and the fact that our prisons are over flowing. None of these issues are of interest to the Senator. Where there are no TV news cameras, Xenophon does not shine.

Xenophon is a populist. He likes the attention. He is no more a crusader for justice than you and I. He has become mesmerised, as so many do, by the red carpet of the Senate, of the infallibility of his word. But these are ephemeral things. They pass in a night.

As Mr. Walsh said to Senator Joseph McCarthy in the communist witch-hunt trials in the 1950s, “You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” Like Senator McCarthy, the Senator from South Australian nowbecomes a mocked thing, yesterday’s man.

NST circulations from top paper to worst than Sun and far far away from Star tells you what kind of a paper it is now.Rocky hates NST...yet can twist like a snake..when he chooses to.He asked who is Xenophone....as if he does not know.hi NST apologized shows Senator Xenophone is someone to be reckoned with...no fooling around.He sues....NST has no money to pay la.Right now..he has been advised not to accept the apology and sure NST.Read that...Rocky??

No surprise why NST readership keeps dropping like a rock. We have a bunch of bootlicking mgmt running it.

Warrior, are we supposed to take seriously a piece written by a publick relations person?

Comments:"Malcolm, Your "opinion" piece is a complete crock! Xenophon is a hero here in SA. We see him as just about the only honest broker on the policital scene. Of course as a professional political spin doctor for the Labor Party you must find him absolutely intolerable - but that just adds to his appeal in my opinion.

And by the way, as someone born into a Scientologist family I fully support his trying to shine a light on the "Church" of Scientology!Posted by michael_in_adelaide"

"The parliament needs more Nick Xenophons with a bit of guts and integrity to stand up to corruption and to truly represent the views of his constituents..."Posted by pelican, Friday, 16 September 2011 9:51:14 AM

But the NST article did not say that. It reports the (supposed) speech of Xenophon, throws in his support for gay marriage, then says:

"Commenting on the turn of events, Bayan Baru member of parliament Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said this showed that Xenophon not only was very outspoken against Islam, but also defended the LGBT issue."

Clearly, NST was suggesting that the MP was commenting after being told about the statement.

2.The selective quote from the original column by Andrew Bolt that you reproduce is intentionally misleading.

Anyone who reads the article will see that after the quotes from Xenophone, where Bolt says that "just one detail has been altered," he explains "The detail altered here is the word “Scientology”, which I’ve exchanged for “Islam”."

3.You say NST "may have checked and double-checked but obviously it did not triple-check the authenticity of the statement purportedly made by Xenophon."Clearly, they didn't even check once.

Here is the original article by Bolt: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/he_media_is_baying_for_the/

4.It is ironic, but not surprising given the blinkered stupidity of NST and their ilk, that they are using the material of a column that was in fact written to *support* the anti-islamic statements of an Australian senator.